1. Helena Curtain, Pattern Stories, Page 1
Using Pattern Stories in the World Language Classroom
Helena Curtain helenacurtain@gmail.com
Pattern stories are stories in which scenes are repeated with some variation. Pattern or repetitive stories are
very effective for language learning since they are a source of functional chunks of language that can be used
as building blocks of communication. There is a core repeating structure or pattern that makes it possible to
predict what comes next. Storylines, cultural sequences or concepts in repetitive/pattern stories are familiar to
readers. The rhythm of pattern stories also helps to move the language into long-term memory. There are
different types of pattern stories but what they have in common is that at least one element is repeated. Some
pattern stories have several of the elements mentioned below.
Common Types Of Pattern Stories
1. Cumulative Story – each time a new event occurs, all previous events in the story are repeated.
2. Familiar Sequence— organized by recognizable them such as days of the week, numbers, months.
3. Question and Answer— the same or similar questions are repeated throughout the story
4. Repetition of a Phrase— word order in a sentence or phrase is repeated.
5. Rhyme— rhyming words, refrains, or patterns are used throughout the story.
6. Chain or Circular Story— plot is interlinked, the ending leads back to the beginning.
7. Songs— familiar songs with predictable elements such as a repetitive
Cumulative Story
Each time something new happens, all the other events in the story are repeated
The Little Old Lady that Swallowed a Fly (Excerpt)
There was an old lady who swallowed a bird
How absurd to swallow a bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
I don't know why she swallowed a fly - Perhaps she'll die
There was an old lady who swallowed a cat
Fancy that to swallow a cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
I don't know why she swallowed a fly - Perhaps she'll die
Familiar or Logical Sequence
The sequence can be days of the week, months of the year, seasons, the alphabet, numbers, colors…
Here is an example of several sequences. Of course, the story can happen using any tense.
They ate one ...
They ate two....
they ate three....
and so on...
First they ate…
Second they ate…
Third they ate…
and so on...
In January they ate…
In February they ate…
In March they ate…
and so on…

2. Helena Curtain, Pattern Stories, Page 2
The story of the Little Red Hen follows the sequence of planting and harvesting. It also has a repetitive phrase.
Question and Answer
A similar question is repeated in every part of the story.
When they were hungry do you know what they ate?
They ate....
When they were hungry do you know what they ate?
They ate....
When they were hungry do you know what they ate?
They ate...
―Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? ―
Repetition of a Phrase -- A phrase or a sentence is repeated.
Traditional Story: In a Dark Dark Wood
In a dark dark wood there was a dark dark path.
And on the dark dark path there was a dark dark house.
And in the dark dark house, there was a dark dark (flight of) stairs.
And on top of the dark dark stairs, there was a dark dark room.
And in the dark dark room, there was a dark dark closet. (wardrobe, bureau)
And in the dark dark closet, (wardrobe, bureau) there was a dark dark box (chest).
And in the dark dark box (chest), there was…….
A ghost!!!!!!!
From Little Red Riding Hood
What big eyes you have.
All the better to see you with, my dear.
What big ears you have.
All the better to hear you with, my dear.
What big teeth you have.
All the better to eat you with!
Rhyme -- Rhyming words, or rhyming patterns are used throughout the story.
From The Gingerbread Man
Run, run, run
As fast as you can!
You can’t catch me
I’m the gingerbread man!

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4. Helena Curtain, Pattern Stories, Page 4
Chain or Circular Story -- Plot moves in a circle and is linked since the ending leads back to the beginning.
Where the Wild Things Are by
Maurice Sendak is an example of a
circular story. Max was sent to his room
because he was misbehaving. When he is
in his room a magic forest appears and a
boat that transports him to the land of the
wild things. After many adventures he
ends up back in his room and finds his
supper on the table. This story is
represented in a circular story map shown
in
Songbooks—Familiar songs with a repeating phrase or other predictable element. Examples of such books
are:
The Wheels on the Bus
Mary Wore a Red Dress
This Old Man
Old McDonald Had a Farm
Teacher Written Pattern Stories
Pattern stories are easy and fun to write and many teachers find that the stories they write for their students are
especially well-suited for their learning targets. When teachers write their own stories they can focus on the
functional language and vocabulary that the students need and place it within the a story that provides a
meaningful context and an enjoyable experience with rhythm and patterns and of course has the satisfying
narrative format of beginning, middle and end. Here are two stories written by Nick Staffa for his grade 3
Chinese students. You can see how the repetition can be helpful in building the students’ confidence and skills.
What do you want to eat? by Nick Staffa (Memphis (TN) City Schools)
Today is Monday, I want to eat chicken braised in soy sauce.
Today is Tuesday, I want to eat lamb skewers.
Today is Wednesday, I want to eat egg stir-fried rice.
Today is Thursday, I want to eat fried dumplings.
Today is Friday, I want to eat deep fried tofu.
Today is Saturday, I want to eat roasted beef.
Today is Sunday, I want to eat seasoned mixed noodles.
Now I’m full! Good-bye!
MaxMisbehaves
Max is
Sent to Room
M
ax
Sailed
Away
A Forest Grew
MaxLanded
WheretheWild
ThingsAre
TheW
ildThings
M
akeHim
King
TheyAllHad
ARumpus
HeLeftThe
W
ildThings
HeReturned
HomeMaxTamedtheWildThings
Story Map: WhereTheWild ThingsAre

5. Helena Curtain, Pattern Stories, Page 5
红烧鸡
hóngshāo jī
羊肉串儿
yángròuchuànr
蛋炒饭
dàn chǎofàn
煎饺子
jiān jiǎozi
炸豆腐
zhádòufu
烤牛肉
kǎo niúròu
捞面
lāomiàn
What do You Like To Do? by Nick Staffa (Memphis (TN) City Schools)

6. Helena Curtain, Pattern Stories, Page 6
What Do you Like to Do: Translation
In the kitchen, in the
kitchen
What do you like to do?
Mom likes to cook.
Dad likes to eat.
In the kitchen, in the
kitchen
What do you like to do?
In the living room, in the
living room
What do you like to do?
Little Sister likes to play
with friends.
Little brother likes to
watch TV.
In the living room, in the
living room
What do you like to do?
In the bedroom, in the
bedroom
What do you like to do?
Elder sister likes to do
her homework.
Elder brother likes to
sleep.
In the bedroom, in the
bedroom
What do you like to do?
In the bathroom, in the
bathroom
What do you like to do?
Grandfather likes to
wash his face.
Grandmother likes to
clean.
In the bathroom, in the
bathroom
What do you like to do?
A wonderful pattern story created by a group of middle school teachers who were studying in Peru is called:
¿Donde vive la Llama? Each frame asks if the llama lives in a specific country and the next frame says that
certain other animals live in that country. Finally at the end of the story we find out that the llama lives in Peru!
¿Donde vive la llama? (Where does the llama live? )
¿Vive la llama en
Wisconsin?
No, La ardilla vive en
Wisconsin?
¿Vive la llama en la China?
No, el oso panda vive en
China?
¿Vive la llama en la
Antártida?
No, los pingüinos viven en
la Antártida.
¿Vive la llama en Australia?
¡No, no, no! El canguro vive
y brinca en Australia.
¿Vive la llama en la India?
No, el elefante vive en la
India?
¿Vive la llama en Zimbabwe?
No, La jirafa, la cebra, el
mono, y el león viven en
Zimbabwe.
Entonces…
¿Donde vive la llama?
¡Vive en Peru!

7. Helena Curtain, Pattern Stories, Page 7
Below is the story that two French teachers, Jacqueline Dove and Stephanie Reddin from the Elmbrook (WI)
school district wrote as they were teaching a unit about the rain forest. They included the unit’s learning
objectives in the format of the story of hummingbird that was looking for the source of the rain.
Where Does the Rain Come From?
1. Here is the rain forest in South America. It is
hot, humid, and it rains a lot.
2. This is a hummingbird. He is purple, blue,
green, and yellow. He is a little bird that drinks
nectar. He is sleeping and feels rain drops falling
on his head. He wants to see from where the rain
drops are coming.
3. The hummingbird starts to fly upwards and sees
a tapir. He asks the tapir, "Who are you?"
The tapir replies, "I am the tapir. I am a black
mammal. I eat insects. I live on the forest
floor."
"No, you are not the rain. Thank you. I am
going to continue."
4. The hummingbird flies higher and sees a leaf
cutter ant. "Who are you?"
"I am the ant. I am a small, black insect. I eat
leaves. I live on the forest floor and in the under
story."
"No, you are not the rain. Thank you. I am
going to continue."
5. The hummingbird flies higher and sees a boa.
"Who are you?"
"I am the boa. I am a brown reptile. I east
small mammals. I live in the under story."
"No, you are not the rain. Thank you. I am
going to continue."
6. The hummingbird flies higher and sees a
jaguar. "Who are you?"
"I am the jaguar. I am a white, yellow, and
brown mammal. I eat small mammals. I live
in the understory."
"No, you are not the rain. Thank you. I am
going to continue."
7. The hummingbird flies higher and sees a
toucan. "Who are you?"
"I am the toucan. I am a black, yellow, red,
green, and white bird. I eat fruits. I live in
the canopy."
"No, you are not the rain. Thank you. I am
going to continue."
8. The hummingbird flies higher and sees a
sloth. "Who are you?"
"I am the sloth. I am a brown mammal. I eat
plants. I live in the canopy."
"No, you are not the rain. Thank you. I am
going to continue."
9. The hummingbird flies higher and sees the
sky. It is sunny and it is warm. He sees a
macaw. "Who are you?"
"I am the macaw. I am a red, blue, green, and
yellow bird. I eat fruits. I live in the canopy
and the emergent layer. Why do you ask?"
"I live in the understory. It rains a lot there.
Where does the rain come from?"
"It rains up here too. The rain comes from the
clouds above. Look! You can see it raining
over there."
"Thank you. Now I understand." The
hummingbird returns to the understory. He
drinks some nectar and it starts to rain again.
"Now I know where the rain comes from."

8. Helena Curtain, Pattern Stories, Page 8
Pattern Stories from Tbilisi, Georgia
Here are some pattern stories created by a group of teachers at a workshop in Tbilisi the capital of the country
of Georgia. The based their stories on the model ―In a Dark, Dark, Wood.‖
In a small small room
In a small small room lives a small small girl
This small small girl has a small small puppy
The small small puppy has a small small mouth
But this small small puppy has a
BIG BIG..
Bark!.......
Tinatin Glurjidzem and Ann Adamia, Tibilisi, Georgia
In a Dark Dark Forest
In a dark dark forest there was a dark dark castle
And inside the dark dark castle there was a dark dark hall
And in the dark dark hall,there was a dark dark hole
And in the dark dark hole, there lived a dark dark rat
And the dark dark rat was a big big rat
And the dark dark rat was so big that he …
Ate…
A dark dark cat!!
Kate, Sophie and Tea
I Love English
I love love English on Monday.
I love love English on Tuesday.
I love love English on Wednesday.
I love love English on Thursday.
I love love English on Friday
But….
I love love the weekend more than I love love English!
Tamari Kekelia
Are you going to swim on Monday?
Are you going to swim on Monday? No, I’m not.
Are you going to swim on Tuesday? No, I’m not.
Are you going to swim on Wednesday? No, I’m not.
Are you going to swim on Thursday? No, I’m not.
Are you going to swim on Friday? No, I’m not.
Are you going to swim on Saturday ? No, I’m not.
Are you going to swim on Sunday?
Yes, I am!!
Natia Arabuli, Eka Chubinidze and Eka Mikadze
In The Blue Blue Sky
In the blue blue sky there is an orange orange sun.
And the orange orange sun looks down on the green green
earth.
And in the black black night there is a yellow yellow moon
and thre are silver silver stars
And the silver silver stars look down on a brown brown
house and a red red car
And in the brown brown house with the red red car, there
are white white cats and gray gray mice.
And the white white cats and gray gray mice are waiting to
wake up to the orange orange sun!
Teo Burhalaia, Kate Gogichaishuili, Marina Tskadadze
and Kate Liluashvili
Is it Snowing in March?
Is it snowing in March? No it’s raining in March.
Is it snowing in April? No it’s blossoming in April.
Is it snowing in May? No it’s time for the flowers to wake
up.
Is it snowing in June? No, it’s time to finish your classes.
Is it snowing in July? No, it’s holiday time.
Is it snowing in August? No, it’s sunbathing time.
Is it snowing in snowing in September, October and
November? No it’s fall and it’s harvest time.
Well then, when is it snowing??
It’s snowing in December!
Christine
Pattern Stories Commercially Available
Here are some popular repetitive books that function as pattern stories:
A Dark Dark Tale (Brown)
Animals Should Definitely Not Act Like People (Barrett)
Are You My Mother? (Eastman)
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See? (Martin)
Over in the Meadow (Keats)
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (Martin)
The Cat on the Mat (Wildsmith)
The Doorbell Rang (Hutchins)

9. Helena Curtain, Pattern Stories, Page 9
Caps for Sale (Slobodkina)
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (retold by
Christelow)
Goodnight Moon (Wise Brown)
f You Give a Mouse a Cookie (Numeroff)
In My Backyard (De Vries)
Is Your Mama a Llama? (Guarino)
It Looked Like Spilt Milk (Shaw)
Mary Wore Her Red Dress (Peek)
Millions of Cats(Gag)
Mrs. Wishy-Washy (Cowley
The Little Engine that Could (retold by Piper)
The Little Red Hen (Galdone)
The Napping House(Wood)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Carle)
The Wheels on the Bus (Kovalski)
Today is Monday (Carle)
We're Going on a Bear Hunt (Rosen)
What do You Do with a Kangaroo? (Mayer)
Where's Spot? (Hill)
Whose Mouse are You? (Kraus)